


Starlight Eyes

by anhydrousMonsoon



Series: The Sum of Our Parts [1]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Autistic Character, Demiromantic, Demisexuality, Druids, F/M, Fluff, Freeform, Humor, Playlist, Priests, Romance, Some coarse language, bad at eye contact, bad at saying words, small panic attack, tender boi hours, the badass and the ball of anxiety fall in love, very very soft IMPLIED intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25132141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anhydrousMonsoon/pseuds/anhydrousMonsoon
Summary: Hatebite never fit in with the rest of the Forsaken- he was strange, an outcast. Orion finds it difficult to relate to her fellow druids, unable to meet their eyes or keep up with their casual chatter. Hatebite is given one last chance to accept who he's supposed to be, but something stops him- a tough, optimistic, brave night elf who takes him by the hand and shows him a world beyond anything he's imagined. Will she take him by the heart as well? What kind of challenges can this unlikely pair expect?This work is largely freeform, and does not follow strict WoW lore or game mechanics- it's more of a loose framework to hang my ideas over.
Relationships: Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s), male undead/female night elf
Series: The Sum of Our Parts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826143
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello to whoever may be reading this- I hope you enjoy it!  
> World of Warcraft OC fics aren't exactly drowning in popularity, but that's honestly perfect for me :)  
> Quarantine cut off my access to my usual creative outlets, but they kept building up until... this happened.  
> I've never written stories before, but with my characters, their personalities and thoughts became so clear and strong, I *had* to write them down. I mainly wrote this story for myself, I suppose.  
> I'm autistic and I tend to project onto my characters- Orion in this case, thought it's not explicitly stated in the story. Both of these characters are demisexual and demiromantic, but it's mostly through subtext.
> 
> Anyways, here's the playlist I made for this fic.  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0HgBpIHaCqwtPTdQ3ayL00?si=jjxpqrPxSeqUjpoY9cJWoA  
> (playlist title: 'Starlight Eyes fic', by summerlynx97, profile name Orin)  
> It has all the chapter songs, plus a few extra ones that match the vibes I'm going for.
> 
> Also, italicized words are inner thoughts.
> 
> Chapter songs: Below My Feet- Mumford and Sons, Eyes on Fire- Blue Foundation

With her mouth turned down in sadness and disgust, the lone night elf looked out over yet another pool of blight, its sickly green glow marring the otherwise healthy landscape around it. She shook her head in resignation and started towards it, keeping an eye out for any corrupted wildlife as she did so. When she reached the afflicted area, she paused and pulled out her worn and tattered missive from the Cenarion Circle for what felt like the hundredth time.

 _How many weeks have I been at this,_ she thought to herself, _and how many more will it take to finish?_

Orion had been sent from her home in Nighthaven, at the behest of her teacher and the other high druids of the Cenarion Circle, across the sea into Silverpine Forest. Here in the heart of Forsaken territory, her assignment was to curb the undead’s efforts to spread their newest blight across the area.

As a balance druid, Orion understood why she had been chosen for this mission- her familiarity with magic, both natural and arcane, meant that she had shown an immediate understanding of the spells needed to dispel the blight. Her natural introversion and difficulty forming relationships only made her an even more obvious choice for this long and lonely quest. The tendency to turn inwards, rather than outwards, was a common trait for balance druids, and she knew that her affinity for deep introspection was a useful skill, but it made friendships difficult to sustain. Orion found that speaking her thoughts aloud to others was much more difficult than simply thinking them and had come to the sad realization that her peers expected a level of casual conversation she found to be uncomfortable and unrealistic.

As she readied her magic and began reciting the cleansing spell written on the ragged missive, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander as she watched the pool of blight slowly shrink and disappear. She didn’t understand why the Forsaken were so intent on destroying the land around them. One of the high druids, a stern and mirthless feral druid named Althion, had told her that something in the Forsaken was twisted beyond repair when they were brought back from death into undeath, that their capacity for love and compassion was distorted into a vile hatred for anything living. He spoke with such an authoritative tone than Orion hadn’t considered asking him any further questions, but now, in the silence of the forest, they came back to her unbidden.

 _The Forsaken are always spoken of with such strong disdain, even by those outside the Circle. Are they really so awful? So beyond compassion and understanding? I know I’ve never met one before, but surely they can’t be so monstrous… Stop daydreaming and pay attention!_ she chided herself. Such thoughts were a distraction, and one she couldn’t afford so deep in enemy territory.

With the cleansing spell finished, Orion felt the expected weariness wash over her, and she began making her way back to the small camp she’d set up, deep in the forest. Crawling into bed almost immediately, she continued the train of thought she’d cut off earlier.

_Even though I’ve been cleaning up their ‘experiments’ for weeks, I just can’t bring myself to condemn an entire race without knowing them for myself. If only I could observe them for a while, and put these distracting thoughts to rest…_

When she awoke the next day and began searching out the next blighted area, her unspoken wish was granted. A small Forsaken outpost had come into view, close to the newly corrupted area, and she felt a surge of excitement run through her. She hurried through the cleansing spell as quickly as she dared, for once not noticing the drain on her stamina.

_This is my chance! Finally, I’ll be able to know for myself what the undead are like. I may even learn something valuable about the blight._

Even though she was strictly ordered to avoid detection, she couldn’t stop herself from sneaking towards the enemy camp.

As she crept closer to the back of the site, she thanked her lucky stars that she’d pestered her teacher into altering her balance form. The normal shapeshifted form for balance druids was a Moonkin, a massive feathered creature with imposing antlers and a heavy stride, but Orion’s form had instead been manipulated into a faint, shimmering outline of her normal night elf appearance. Her teacher had called it her ‘astral form’ and started to give a lecture on its role in the development of balance druidism, but Orion has escaped before she could finish. History was all well and good, but in her heart she knew that she favored it simply because it made her much less noticeable.

Looking out over the outpost, she counted five Forsaken in view, four of them clustered around what looked like a portable apothecary bench, and one off on the edges of the group, reading a book and seeming for all the world to be wishing he was anywhere but there. From where she was, she could see that his lower jaw hung crooked, the corners of his mouth covered in heavy scar tissue. The tips of the bones in his upper arms were exposed, jutting out over his shoulders, and she winced to herself in sympathy, hoping that it wasn’t as painful as it looked.

_He’s not bad looking, if I’m being honest… his face actually looks quite kind, but what happened to his jaw?_

The other four clustered around the bench were also covered in exposed bone, and Orion could see many bloodless injuries on each of them, most of them pretty deep. She could hear their cruel laughter even from where she was hidden.

“I can’t wait to see this new formula in action,” one of the four said, his mouth covered in what looked like rotted flesh, teeth exposed in a wicked grin.

“I heard that this one is supposed to be even more effective than the last,” said a second in a watery growl, as if he was speaking through a throat filled with blood. “My friend up in Tirisfal said it can even make animals explode after exposure!”

The four of them continued laughing, occasionally making jokes about what they hoped would happen to any affected by the blight. Orion was too focused on the group to notice how the fifth’s hands would tighten around his book every time one of his companions spoke, his knuckles going white from the strain.

Tearing her gaze away, she scanned over the rest of the outpost, counting six tents lined up off to the side, next to…. Wait.

Six tents? Her blood ran cold as she counted again, yes, there were _six_ tents… and she’d only seen five Forsaken. She didn’t even notice that her astral form had dissipated, her focus entirely on the figures in the camp. She saw with a start that the fifth one was looking at her in horror. She froze, expecting him to alert his companions, but instead he began waving his hands at her, mouthing at her to _run_.

Before she could react, she felt strong, bony hands grasp her by the shoulders, yanking her up and around so she was face to face with what seemed to be the leader of the outpost. He was massive, his face covered in oozing, rotting sores, his mouth twisted into such a malicious expression of glee that Orion wondered faintly if she had already died and gone to hell.

“Well now, what do we have here? A spy?” he murmured to her gently, his voice sickeningly sweet. “Or perhaps an assassin? Not to worry, my dear, I’m sure we can find a use for you.”

He raised his voice and called out to the others, pushing her roughly into the center of the camp.

“Today’s our lucky day, gents! Your old captain’s caught ourselves a volunteer for the new blight we’ve been cooking up!”

The four from the bench rushed over immediately, pushing and shoving each other in their haste. Her mind foggy with fear, Orion noticed that the fifth Forsaken, the one with the book, had stayed where he was, his expression angry and disgusted, but his dark eyes seemed… worried? Afraid? Before she could decide what that meant, the captain turned to face her, holding a bubbling vial of the same sickly green blight she’d been fighting in the wilds for weeks. He reached out to her with his other hand, and ran it down the side of her face, his smile twisted and vulgar.

That was a mistake.

Her overwhelming panic and fear were immediately replaced with disgust at the feel of his hand on her skin. How dare he touch her so intimately? How _dare_ he? The sudden revulsion was enough to break through her panic. With a jolt, she gathered what magic she could, and threw back the undead with a strong gust of wind, managing to shift back into her astral form. It wouldn’t help much, but it bought her a few seconds. She knew there was no way she could beat them all, especially with her power drained from fighting the blight, but her looming death only made her feel strangely calm.

 _I’ll be damn sure to go out fighting, at least_ , she thought somewhat dispassionately as the five Forsaken got back to their feet and started back towards her.

She wondered where the one with the book had gone, but only for a second before her attention returned to the enemies in front of her. One of them drew back a wicked looking mace and swung at her, but it never made contact. Stunned, she looked down only to find herself surrounded by a halo of light.

“ _Get. Back.”_

It was the Forsaken with the book and the crooked jaw, the one who had tried to warn her. His voice was clear, and cold with fury, and he moved to stand in front of her, shielding her from the others. His companions were stunned, some already showing signs of anger at his betrayal. The captain spoke in a low, threatening tone.

“Are you sure you want to do that, Hatebite? If you cross this line, the Forsaken and the Horde will discard you without a thought. You’ll be hunted down like a dog if you turn traitor!” 

Hatebite spat at his captain’s feet.

“Good riddance. You’re a foul and hateful lot, one I’m glad to be rid of.”

Even through the anger, his voice was clear and strong. Orion met his eyes for a moment and saw the unspoken offer of alliance in them. She turned back to the undead in front of her and prepared to call down as much celestial energy as she could manage, when the group of undead suddenly scattered before her, terror stark on their faces.

She looked at them in confusion, opening her mouth to ask the Forsaken in front of her if this was his doing, but before she could he pointed away from the camp, back the way she’d came.

“It won’t last long, but it’ll buy us some time. We need to leave, _now,”_ he said, the urgency plain in his voice.

Without stopping to think, Orion grabbed his hand and ran as fast as she could towards her small campsite, dragging her strange ally behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: The Drug In Me Is You- Falling in Reverse, Iris- The Goo Goo Dolls, Contagious- Night Riots, Chaos- I Prevail

The first thing Hatebite could remember after waking up was how cold he felt. He raised his hands to his mouth, trying to warm them with his breath, but froze in horror when he saw the exposed bones jutting out from the tips of his fingers.

_Oh dear god, what is this?_

Hands reached down to pull him from what he later realized was his coffin, and the winged creature responsible for resurrecting him moved away to begin its work on the next exposed corpse. He vaguely registered a speech directed at him, a man- no, an _undead_ man, congratulating him on his 'rebirth' and welcoming him into the ranks of the Forsaken.

_Well, shit._

The first few days were quite difficult for him. Apparently, acclimating to an entirely new existence was known to be stressful, and he was grateful for the space he was given. He realized with numb shock that he didn’t even know his own name. He found that this was also common, and was encouraged by the older members of the small town to choose a new one for himself. Hatebite was the first thing to pop into his head, and so it became his name.

He remembered the revulsion he felt when he saw himself in a mirror for the first time. His hair was a dusty shade of purple and hung down to his chin, and overall he looked to be in his early twenties, but as he turned, his reflection displayed several bones jutting out from his body- lower ribs, the top of his spine, his shoulders, his fingertips, even his toes, for fuck’s sake! He was thankful that none of it was painful or actively rotting away. His skin was just cold, the flesh unnaturally firm and pale.

_Honestly, it looks like I got off pretty easy, all things considered._

He’d been able to avoid peer pressure to alter his appearance any further than it already was- the body of a Forsaken does not naturally rot or decompose, a ‘problem’ solved by self-mutilation and the intentional introduction of blight into the body.

The decidedly unwelcome advances by a female undead, her face covered in ‘attractive’ patches of rotting flesh, only solidified his disgust for this kind of body modification. He’d also come to the realization that he was unable to feel anything resembling love or attraction, at least not to one of his own. Overall, he saw this as useless information, and not worth the discomfort it took to learn it.

He was grateful that he had no memories of his previous life. The name on his tombstone was worn away, and Hatebite simply let this information pass through and out of his mind.

_It’s not like it would do me any good to know who I was anyways._

About a week after his ‘rebirth’, he was encouraged by the town leaders to choose a class to train in. Many of his peers, Forsaken raised around the same time he was, gravitated towards the dark arts of demonic magic, studying to become warlocks, with many others choosing the violent paths of warriors or rogues. Hatebite didn’t feel drawn to any of the paths offered except one- and it was an unusual choice for an undead.

Hatebite found solace in the church. Not in any religious or evangelical way, but he found comfort in the idea that there was some higher power watching over him, somewhere. It was this thought that sustained him in his early years of undeath, and he suspected that without it, he would have very likely broken under the strain of this new existence, becoming one of the mindless, shambling corpses he found on the outskirts of town. The idea of being abandoned into this strange new existence scared him like nothing else could.

And so, he decided to follow the path of a priest, learning to work with shadow magic through what he could find in books around the church. It was a small mercy that he didn’t have to learn from Brill’s resident preacher, a foul old man completely devoted to shadow magic. He’d often give sermons to the citizens of the town, loud and hateful speeches praising their efforts to spread blight across all of Azeroth and spurring them on to greater atrocities.

After Hatebite heard the first sermon, he finally realized just how different he was from his kin. They cheered and clapped as the old man spoke, but the words left nothing but shame and disgust in his own mind. In a fit of desperation, he pored through the town’s libraries, looking for any way to escape the shadows he studied, to prevent them from consuming him like they had the old man.

He finally found a small book jammed underneath a floorboard, devoted to the ways of light magic. He knew it would have undoubtedly been destroyed if anyone other than himself had found it. He took this as a sign that he was meant to stay true to how he felt, even though it put him in a dangerous position should he be discovered.

He balanced his study of shadow magic with everything he could glean from the stolen book of light, but each time he tried to cast light magic it stubbornly refused to answer him. Hatebite took this in stride, grateful he’d even found the book in the first place. His secret collection grew over time as he added every book he could steal or salvage that dealt with the study of light magic, as well as the few rare volumes he found that spoke about the living world.

As the months passed, the divide between himself and the other Forsaken only became wider and more treacherous. He was deeply interested in learning about the natural world, and he held a respect and love for the living that was completely foreign to his peers. He learned the hard way to keep this to himself after some of his ‘friends’ cornered him one day and enthusiastically tried to rip his jaw off his face. That was the first time he’d used one of his shadow spells outside of personal practice, and he felt a small satisfaction in sending the group fleeing from their imagined terror. His jaw, however, reflected their actions and now hung crooked, the corners of his mouth torn open and oozing blood.

His peers’ attempt to shut him up for good was partially successful; it took a good few weeks for his mouth to heal, during which time he was unable to speak. He found a stroke of luck in a well-worn book of sign language- apparently, it was common for many of his kind to _voluntarily_ remove their lower jaws, one of the more extreme forms of body modification, and so had to learn to speak with their hands. Hatebite was a quick study, with some of the older Brill residents more than happy to instruct him in this new form of communication as his jaw healed. He was left with heavy scar tissue around his mouth and a permanently crooked smile, but this didn’t bother him in the slightest.

_It’s not like I smile all that often anyways. At least I can talk aloud again… and everyone just assumes I intentionally did this to myself, so I fit in a bit better as well._

About a week after he’d finished healing, Hatebite was chosen to accompany a small team to the Silverpine Woods, with the goal of testing out a new strain of blight. He knew that his oddities had finally been noticed by the town leaders and knew this trip was their final effort to bring him into line with Forsaken ideology. He knew he had no choice, and glumly headed out with four of his peers and an older captain.

By the time they reached their destination, Hatebite’s skin was crawling. The other members of the group talked of nothing but their hopes for the effects of the blight, interspersed with various hateful and cruel stories of their interactions with, and destruction of, the animals that lived in the woods around Brill. 

_I’m surprised my teeth haven’t cracked, I’ve been gritting them so hard._

After setting up the outpost, Hatebite managed to escape the group, disappearing into the woods after mumbling something about scouting, dragging his small bag of belongings with him. He walked as far away from the others as he dared, found some shade under a huge pine, set down his bag, and pulled out his most precious possession, a slim, beat up volume of short stories.

He’d found the tattered old book buried under the remains of a house near Brill. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen, or even guessed could exist. It spoke of worlds beyond him and his wretched kin, and his favorite was a land named after the moon. The book said it was bright and green and teeming with life, populated by people who lived beside nature, loving and protecting it from harm. As he read, his chest ached as he imagined what it must be like to live in a place like that, away from the death and devastation that surrounded him.

_I could watch the plants grow, and animals play, innocent and free of fear. I could keep them safe…_

For the briefest moment, a small spark of light began to grow inside his soul, bright and pure, but as he came back to reality, it faded into darkness.

_Who am I kidding? I know what I am, I know where I come from. I’m unnatural, a deviation, like the rest of them back in that godawful town. I don’t belong in the living world, and I can’t change that._

As his mood slipped back into its usual flat depression, he saw a flicker of movement in the trees ahead of him. Curious, he got up and carefully made his way over, hoping to see a wild animal of some kind, perhaps a bird.

It was not a bird.

It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

She was a night elf, he knew, by her long, graceful ears. A braid of bright blue hair hung down to her waist. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until his chest began to ache, and he let it out as softly as he could, terrified of being seen, of scaring her away.

_What in the world is she doing here, so close to her enemies?_

Even as he thought this, he saw her body become ghostly and transparent, shot through with what looked like falling stars, and he watched in awe as she began to purify the blight before her, holding her hands over it as it dissipated.

 _I… I didn’t even know such a thing was possible,_ he thought, filled with a joy stronger than anything he’d ever felt.

_The damage the Forsaken do isn’t permanent! It isn’t destined to remain forever!_

Again, so small as to be unnoticed, the spark of light in his soul began to grow. This time, as he returned to the camp in a dreamy daze, it did not fade. He was so lost in what he’d seen that he didn’t even realize he’d left his bag back in the woods.

He sat down at the edge of the group, trying to avoid their attention, afraid they’d realize he was different, somehow changed by what he’d seen. He pretended to read his book, feeling his fingers clench at their hateful anticipation of their work.

At last, the light within him had grown large enough for him to notice, and it shot a warning through him, forcing his gaze up to the edge of the camp. He froze in horror when he saw the night elf hiding there, looking over the camp with curiosity sparkling in her eyes. As he watched, her transparent form faded back into her natural appearance, her bright blue hair shattering any hope of remaining hidden for very long.

_What is she doing here?! This is bad, this is very, very bad…_

He caught her eye, saw the curiosity replaced with fear, and tried to motion her to leave, to get away, to _run_ , before she was caught.

He was too late.

Everything that passed after that was an adrenaline-soaked blur.

All he could remember was that he’d finally done what he’d never dared dream of- he’d left _._ He was _free._ He would never have to return to Brill, that foul town, or to his own depraved people. As he felt the light within him grow even stronger, he realized that when he had called it, desperately trying to protect the night elf, _it had come to him._ For the first time in his life, he had called to the light and it had answered him, answered his desperate plea to keep her safe, someone he’d never even met before.

As the two of them ran for their lives, Hatebite looked down and felt a small blush rise across his cheeks. She was holding his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: Runaway- The Melodic

Panting and exhausted, the unlikely pair almost collapsed when they reached the druid’s makeshift camp. No words were exchanged as they both scrambled to gather everything together, not until the undead suddenly stopped and cursed, startling his companion.

“Shit! My bag, I left it in the woods! Fucking hell, my books…”

His voice was loud and upset, but she could hear a deep sadness behind it. She looked at him as he stood there, one hand covering his face, his shoulders slumped, and she made a decision. Without saying anything, she handed him her pack and closed her eyes, concentrating. After a moment, she found the thread of energy she was searching for and followed it back into the sunlight. With a small puff of air, she shifted into her travel form, a large elk with massive horns.

He looked at her in shock, mouth hanging open, barely keeping his grip on her pack.

“Y-you, what? Is that.. is that you?”

The elk snorted and pawed the ground impatiently.

_“Shut up and get on.”_

He barely caught a yelp of surprise in his throat as her voice appeared directly in his head.

“You can… talk?”

He swore he saw it- saw _her_ roll her eyes.

_“Don’t be ridiculous. Elk can’t talk. Now get on, and let’s go get your bag. I’m not strong enough to hold this form for very long, so move it.”_

That was all he needed to hear, and without a second thought he climbed onto her back, and they set out, almost flying through the forest. Following his directions, the elk suddenly stopped short, before they’d reached their destination.

“Are you alright? What’s wrong, are you-“ he began, concern obvious in his voice, but he fell silent as her voice appeared inside his head again.

_“Shh. I can hear your buddies in the woods. They’re looking for us- we can’t go any farther like this.”_

He was disappointed, but their safety, especially hers after all she’d done for him, massively outweighed any sadness he felt about losing his hard-won books. But before he could tell the strange night elf any of this, he felt her lean to the side, and he slowly slid off her back and onto the ground. As he turned to look at her, confused, he saw her form waver again. He watched in amazement as she suddenly shifted into a sleek, dark panther, almost impossible to see between the trees around them. She looked back at him, and he swore she was grinning.

_“Now, like this it won’t be a problem. You stay put, and I’ll have your bag back in a flash.”_

With that, she turned and darted through the trees, quickly disappearing. She was back before he could fully process what had happened, carrying his beat-up bag between her teeth. She dropped it in front of him, shifted back into the elk, and they were gone once more, racing through the forest back the way they came.

After an hour or so of travel, the elk suddenly collapsed, sending her rider tumbling to the ground. There was another puff of air, and she turned back into her normal form, trying to catch her breath.

“That’s… that’s about all I’ve got in me for today. We should be safely away by now.”

He reached down to help her to her feet, surprised when she didn’t recoil from his touch. The fact that she had literally carried him on her back for the past hour, unprompted, didn’t register in his mind. He was still waiting for her to come to her senses and run screaming from the sight of him. He cleared his throat, nerves eating away at him as he tried to find his voice.

“That was… amazing. You’re amazing. I didn’t know such magic even existed outside of books! Who are you?”

She looked up at him, but her eyes stopped when they were level with his chest.

“My name is Orion. I’m a druid, that’s how I was able to change forms back there. Who are you,” she asked softy, meeting his eyes for the smallest of moments before looking away, “and why did you save me?”

But before he could answer, the exhausted druid passed out. He caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: First Day of My Life- Bright Eyes, Holocene- Bon Iver, Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want- The Smiths

Their camp was set up inside a small cave he’d found, a little ways away from where she’d collapsed. The fire was crackling gently, its warm light bolstered by the bright glow coming from his hands as he healed the druid’s wounds and restored her stamina. She was awake now, watching him work with guarded interest, not quite used to people this close to her. His voice was quiet and calm, subduing his excitement about using light magic and his anxiety about being next to someone so different from him.

“To answer your first question, my name is Hatebite,” he began, trying to keep his voice steady, “and to answer your second one…” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “It’s kind of a long story.”

The druid looked as far up as his mouth, smiled, and gestured dramatically to the empty cave around them.

“Well, Mr. Bite,” making him snort in amusement, “it’s not like either of us has any pressing appointments elsewhere.”

“Just Hatebite is fine. And I suppose you’re right.”

He took a deep breath, exhaled, and told her his story. He glossed over the unimportant details, trying to avoid talking about how damn miserable he was while living in Brill- he didn’t want to seem too depressed in front of his new friend.

 _Wait, are we even friends? We literally just met! But… I_ want _to be friends with her, and she hasn’t tried to attack me or run away in terror, so that seems like a good sign…?_

As he spoke about his love of the living world, his curiosity and respect for nature, and the resulting damage to his jaw, Orion’s posture changed. She sat up straighter, and Hatebite could feel her eyes on his face, but he pretended not to notice. He’d picked up on her avoidance to eye contact, and he didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than the recesses of his brain insisted he already had. With his tale told, he sat back and watched the fire, trying to sort through everything that had happened to him in just one day, enjoying the comforting silence the druid seemed to carry with her like a warm blanket. After a few moments, she slowly reached out towards his face, stopping just before she made contact.

“May I?” Her voice was soft, almost… sad?

He paused for a moment before nodding, and turned to face her. Her fingers met the scars around his mouth, her touch gentle, light, almost timid, as if she didn’t want to frighten him.

_Her skin is so soft and warm… like the fluttering of a moth’s wings…_

She met his eyes for a short moment before drawing her hand back, dropping her eyes to the floor beneath them.

“I’m so sorry you’ve been hurt so deeply,” she said, the honest sorrow in her voice slowly warming into joy, “but I knew it! I _knew_ the Forsaken couldn’t all be bad. This is wonderful, I’m so happy we’ve met, Hatebite. Thank you for saving me!” She smiled at him, her face bright and open, her eyes crinkling up at the corners. Her whole body seemed to radiate light.

Hatebite had never seen a smile like that in his life, only the malicious, twisted grins or sneers of his kin. But this smile… and it was at _him_. A walking corpse, a defilement of nature, as he’d been told over and over by his fellow Forsaken in Brill. But seeing her look at him like that… he felt a small bit of the darkness inside him crack and dissolve, replaced with another glowing spark of light. He felt the sudden urge to protect her, to keep her safe and smiling like that forever.

There was a bright flash, and Hatebite realized that he’d somehow cast the same protection spell over her that he had back at the outpost. She jumped, startled, and then giggled when she saw the shock and embarrassment on her companion’s face. Hatebite quickly stood up, waving his hands in apology, his voice pitched higher than normal.

“Ah, shit, god, I’m so sorry! I- I don’t know how to control it yet, it’s never done this before, I swear,” he rambled, obviously afraid that he’d somehow upset the druid, only to stop in surprise when he felt her hands on his.

Still giggling, she slowed his frantic gestures and brought his hands back down to his sides. “It’s alright, really! You can relax. Light magic can be difficult to control if you haven’t been taught how." She quirked her head to the side, curious. “In your story, you said that light magic never responded to you in Brill. What changed?”

Hatebite sat back down and looked away, trying to hide the blush that crept across his pale skin. “I’m not sure, I just… I just remember feeling the need to protect you,” he mumbled, his words trailing off. “I’ve never felt anything like that before, not in Brill, at least.”

Orion felt a dull pain in her chest as he drew into himself, shoulders hunched, a deep and immeasurable sadness in his eyes.

“The others, back in that awful town... I never _felt_ like one of them, but I never saw a way out, either.” His words had grown almost inaudible, and he seemed to be trying to make himself as small as possible.

Orion sat quietly for a moment, thinking about his words and his actions since they’d met, and she made another decision. Slowly, not wanting to startle him, she got up and motioned for him to follow her. The fire had burned low, and the stars were out and bright in the sky. As they sat quietly at the mouth of the cave, looking out into the night, Orion leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder.

He flinched slightly, surprised at the sudden contact, before relaxing into the warm silence she’d spun around them. When she spoke, it was quiet, almost shy.

“I’m not known for making relationships easily, but… if it’s alright with you, I’d like to be friends. I’m not very good at casual chatting, and you’d actually be my first real friend,” she paused, nervous and unsure of how people usually went about this sort of thing, “but I trust you. I think you're a good person, and I'd like to get to know you better.”

It took Hatebite a few moments to process what he’d just heard.

_There’s no way this is real. It’s got to be some kind of dream…_

He felt Orion shake with laughter next to him, and realized he’d said that out loud.

_Damn. Smooth move, dummy._

“Are you sure you want to be friends with someone like me? It’ll be dangerous now that I’m officially a race traitor, and I don’t want you to get hurt-”

She cut him off with a gentle shove, making a fist in the air above them. “Are you kidding? The two of us can take on the world, just wait and see.”

He laughed at that, softly. “If you’re sure, then… yes. I’d like that.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: Venice- The Lighthouse and the Whaler, Playing Catch With .22- I the Mighty

They’d been traveling together for a few months now and had grown quite close. They fit together naturally, as if they were meant for each other. Continuing Orion’s work to cleanse any blighted areas they could find, Hatebite was especially helpful, and with his directions the pair were able to tackle almost double the blight they had been expecting.

But the best part of their travels, to Hatebite at least, was how happily the druid shared her knowledge of the living world with him. Each time he’d come to her with a new question or discovery, his excitement was twofold- he’d learn something new, of course, but he’d also get to share in her passion. She wasn’t much for casual chitchat, but she could talk for hours about any interesting plants or animals they’d pass by. Once, they’d even been able to watch the birth of a litter of kits, maintaining a respectful distance from the vixen and her babies. As each day passed, Hatebite could feel the light inside of him grow stronger and stronger, and he dove back into his books with renewed energy each evening, as their campfire crackled and the stars came out. He’d often read stories to Orion as the moon rose in the sky, the sound of his voice lulling her into an easy sleep.

As the weeks passed, he began to suspect that he was falling for her, romantically. The reservations he felt towards his own kind didn’t seem to extend towards her. He loved everything about her- the way her face lit up when he’d point out a vine or a forest creature he didn’t know the name for, the way her voice pitched higher when she was excited, her bravery and lust for exploration, the way her face seemed to glow from within when she smiled, the way she soothed his worries without words, just wrapping him in that beautiful calm she carried with her…

She was unlike anyone he’d ever met, and he felt like he’d known her his whole life, but he decided early on to keep these feelings to himself. That small, dark corner of his mind remained convinced that someone so beautiful, so _alive,_ wouldn’t ever be able to see him the same way, and he was terrified of losing the only friend he’d ever had. He was also painfully aware that since they’d met, she’d only meet his eyes for a few seconds at a time. He didn’t mind, per say, but he didn’t know why she did it, and again, that wretched part of him said it was because she couldn’t bear to look at his hideous dead face.

Overall, though, their travels were pleasant and exciting. Orion would often help him practice his new light magic, though there was little success, and they’d have friendly sparring matches after they’d make camp for the night. Hatebite was understandably worried about using his darker offensive spells, but after her reassurance and consent, as well as getting his ass handed to him by a particularly strong blast of celestial energy, he gave in. He focused inward, carefully drawing on the small remainder of shadow magic within him, and cast the same spell he’d used to escape the outpost all those weeks ago.

The effect was immediate. Orion’s face contorted in terror and she fled from the fight. As soon as Hatebite saw the look on her face, he dropped the spell and ran off after his friend. His mind was a fog of fear and regret, and he was disgusted with himself for what he’d done. The fact that Orion had consented, strongly reassured him, and anticipated the spell’s effects did not occur to him. All he could think about was that he was just like his kin, he was _wrong_ , he was _bad_ , and he was sure she’d never forgive him.

As he stumbled after his friend, he was so distracted by his worries that he paid little attention to his surroundings, and by the time he registered where he was, it was too late.

With numb dread, he realized he’d run right into a human campsite. The red banners on the tents confirmed his fears. It was a Scarlet Crusade camp. And it was occupied.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: She Burns- Foy Vance, Dandelion Wine- Gregory Alan Isakov, Indigo Puff- Sundara Karma

Shaking off the lingering effects of the spell, Orion ran her hands through her hair in embarrassment.

_Aw jeez, after I insisted I’d be fine, I ran off like a scared little kid. I’m such a baby…_

Shrugging her shoulders, she turned and jogged back to their campsite, calling out to her friend.

“Hey, Hate, I’m back! Sorry about that, let’s give it another… go. Hello?”

Her voice echoed back to her, and as she looked around in confusion, she saw that Hatebite was gone. After searching the camp thoroughly, her confusion turned to fear. They hadn’t had any trouble with the Forsaken soldiers they’d escaped from back in Silverpine, but…

_Oh god, what if they found him?_

Fear trickled down her spine like ice. She shifted into her panther form, caught her friend’s scent, and immediately took off in a dead run, following it into a small clearing a few minutes away from their camp. Shifting into her astral form, ready for battle, she entered the clearing to find a campsite hung with red banners. She could hear the clash of swords, and even from where she was, on the far side of the camp, she could smell blood.

Without registering it, she ran straight through the group of soldiers, firing off her spells indiscriminately until she’d made it to her friend’s side. When she saw his wounds, saw the blood, _his_ blood, her vision went dark. She felt a strange tug at her soul, one she’d never felt before, and then all she could feel was rage.

She didn’t remember what happened after that.

**********************

Hatebite groaned and tried to keep his eyes open, dizzy and in quite a bit of pain. The soldiers had outnumbered him three to one, and he hadn’t stood a chance. The Scarlet Crusade was well known for their hatred of the undead, and of course he managed to land right in their laps. He was able to cast a weak protective spell, but it wasn’t enough, and his single shadow spell had no effect on them. When he saw the soldiers’ attention shift, he tried to stand up and back away, but his legs were still weak with fear.

When he saw what had drawn the men’s attention, he forgot about moving.

It was a bear, absolutely massive, and _pissed._ It slashed through the soldiers’ defenses with ease, roaring furiously, cutting down the men within seconds. As he watched in disbelief, he saw the bear shimmer, its body wavering slightly, before turning back into his friend.

_Orion? How? I didn’t know she could do that! That was amazing! She’s amazing._

She looked down at the three dead men in a daze before running to him, covered in their blood, tears streaming down her face. He tried to reach out to her, to tell her it was alright, it wasn’t as bad as it looked, but it was like she couldn’t see him. She ran her hands frantically over his face, his arms, before settling on his chest, and she froze. Her breathing became faster, uneven and frantic, her mouth trembling as her tears fell down onto his face. “No, no, no no no nonono,” she moaned, sounding for all the world like a wounded animal.

With a start, Hatebite realized she was having a panic attack. He managed to sit up, and gently took her hands, covering them with his own. He leaned forward until their foreheads were touching, and spoke in a quiet, calm voice. “It’s alright. It’s okay, I’m fine, I’m here, you’re fine, you’re here. Just breathe, okay? Give me a deep breath, alright? Can you do that for me?”

Orion nodded shakily, trying to control her breathing, grasping his hands tightly. He knew this was a good sign and took one of his hands away to rest on her cheek, damp with her tears.

“Alright, okay, breathe for me again, Starshine, nice and deep, there you go…” He flinched inwardly when he let the pet name slip, but she didn’t seem to notice, so he let it go.

As she let his words, his beautiful, clear voice wash over her, she loosened her death grip on his hand and leaned into his touch on her cheek. Slowly, she found her voice, cracked and unsteady. “I’m so sorry, I-I ran off, left you _alone_ , and when I saw… when I saw you there, _hurt_ and _bleeding,_ I… I don’t know what happened, and you had no _heartbeat_ , you-“

Her voice was getting frantic again, and without a thought Hatebite pulled her close in a sudden embrace. After a second of hesitation, Orion wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, tight enough to make his ribs creak. He could feel her heart fluttering in her chest, and his own beat heavily in response. He ran his hands soothingly down her back. “Can you feel my heartbeat now?” he asked, his voice gentle in her ear.

“I can… but it’s so slow! Is that normal?” She pulled away from the embrace, looking down at his chest in concern.

Hatebite laughed at that, he couldn’t help himself, and she grinned in return, wiping away her tears as he spoke. “Yes, it’s normal. I guess I forgot to mention, the hearts of the undead beat much slower that living ones. We bleed slower too, see?” He gestured to his wounds, which were slowly oozing blood.

Now that Orion had a clear mind, she realized that most of the blood on him was from the soldiers that had attacked him. Embarrassed, she ducked her head. “I uh… I guess I overreacted a bit there. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, you were amazing! I had no idea you could do that!”

“What do you mean? Do what? I don’t really remember what happened.”

Hatebite’s eyes were wide with amazement as he told her what he saw, a mighty bear take down its foes in mere minutes, and Orion’s eyes widened as well, blushing at his high praises. “I’ve never been able to connect with my bear form before,” she told him, her voice small, “It’s a bit of a failure on my end, as a druid. It’s known as the guardian form. I guess I’ve never… never really had someone I needed to protect before…” She trailed off, looking down at his chest as she spoke. 

Before Hatebite could start to wonder what that meant, Orion shook her head and started looking at his injuries. “Speaking of protection,” her tone changed, becoming lighter and more casual, “let me take a look at those wounds of yours! I know a few healing spells that might help.”

And they did help. Her healing magic felt different from his, he noticed. While his was bright and sharp, hers was softer, warmer, like the sun on his skin. He wondered if this was what plants felt like as they grew. As she worked, Hatebite tried to apologize for casting the shadow spell on her earlier, but she brushed it off, reminding him that she’d consented, and not to get too comfortable, because now she knew what to expect and would definitely kick his ass the next time they sparred.

They made their way back to their camp, washed up, and fell into their beds almost immediately, each pondering their own thoughts. Hatebite, as usual, couldn’t get her face out of his mind. The way she’d looked at him, laid her hands on his wounds as she healed him, her touch gentle, almost loving… was there a chance she felt the same way towards him as he did for her? Was there hope for him yet?

That night he dreamt of the woman who saved him, a warrior angel with stars in her eyes. Covered in the blood of her enemies, standing impossibly tall, she reached out to him, beckoning him to join her. Her smile was so warm and pure, so full of light, of _life_ …

As he fell asleep, he had no way of knowing that Orion’s thoughts were almost the mirror image of his. How tenderly he’d held her, his gentle, cool hand her against her cheek, his soft, clear voice like running water, soothing and reassuring and so, so lovely. The way he _looked_ at her, like she’d hung the moon…

_Is this what it's like to fall in love?_

She knew she’d have to speak with her teacher about the day's events when they returned to Nighthaven, preferably within the next few days. Orion smiled softly as she finally fell asleep.

_He’s going to love it there._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: Of the Heavens and the Earth- The Lighthouse and the Whaler, Rosyln- Bon Iver, Pieces- Andrew Belle

Three days later, after a well-deserved rest for the both of them, Orion brought up her idea as they packed up the camp.

“So, as I’m sure you know, our work with the blight here is pretty much finished,” she started, her back to him as she rolled up her sleeping mats. She didn’t see the way Hatebite’s face fell at her words.

“Ah, I see… so, I guess our time together has come to a close, then?” He tried to keep his voice neutral, casual, but Orion immediately caught the strange tone and turned back to him in surprise.

“Not a chance in hell, pal! You’re stuck with me, like it or not.” She grinned at him, then realized how presumptuous she must sound. Maybe he didn’t want to stay? Had she read him wrong? “If you want to, that is.” Her voice was much smaller now. She wrung her hands and looked down at the ground between them.

_Is this too much? What if he’s not interested? What if he’s tired of me?_

There was a quiet pause, filled only with the beating of her heart. After a moment, she raised her eyes to his face. His gentle smile made her heart flutter, and she looked into his eyes just long enough to see the joy and excitement there before she looked away.

“Of course I want to stay with you! How else am I going to learn about new plants and get my ass kicked with, I dunno, fucking _shooting stars_ , huh?” He laughed and lightly nudged her shoulder, and a bright giggle bubbled out from the druid’s mouth as she nudged him back.

“That’s true, you’re _terrible_ at fighting,” she said, puffing out her chest comically. “I guess you’re stuck with me, then!” She swung an arm around his waist, grinning up at him as he blushed and laid his arm across her shoulders.

“There’s no one I’d rather be stuck with, Starshine. So, where are we off to now?”

“Hah, Starshine, I _like_ that. Well, since we’ve finished up the blight business, and in light of the sudden appearance of my bear form, I think we need to pay a visit to Nighthaven.”

"Oh? Where's that?"

"It's a small town in Moonglade, over in Kalimdor."

Hatebite’s arm suddenly left her shoulders, and she turned to see him rummaging through his bag intently. He found what he was looking for, a dingy old book, which he flipped open and began scanning. “Did you say _Moonglade_?” His voice was uneven with excitement.

“Yeah, it’s where I’m from, why?” She quirked her head at him, curious.

“Remember, back when we first met, how I told you I’d read everything I could find about nature? How it made me realize I couldn’t stay in Brill any longer?”

She nodded her head, motioning for him to continue.

“Well, this book was the first I’d ever found like it, one that praised life and light instead of vilifying it. The land it talks about, I always assumed it was made up, but look, here-“ He handed her the book, pointing out the title of a chapter: _The Druids of Moonglade_.

“Is that the same place you’re from?” He was trying to keep his voice casual, but they both knew he wasn’t fooling anybody.

“Here, lemme see… Yep! That’s it, alright. Where’d you find this, anyway? It’s pretty old...” she paused and looked up at him.

His smile was almost blinding in its brilliance. She put the book back in his bag, turned to him, and held out her arms for a hug. Hatebite had her in his embrace almost immediately, and swung her around until her feet left the ground, both of them laughing and hollering in excitement.

After they’d settled down and finished packing, they headed out towards the coast. It was a few hours away, and as they walked Orion reassured Hatebite that _no_ , they weren’t going to cross the entire continent or ocean on foot, they just had to reach a small copse of trees by the shoreline so she could cast her teleportation spell.

“It’s like, fast travel for druids, I guess. Pretty convenient, huh?”

Hatebite nodded but didn’t say much of anything. He’d been unusually subdued on the walk, especially compared to the excitement they’d shared when they first set out. Several times over the journey, Orion would catch herself reaching for his hand, only to pull back and chastise herself for crossing a boundary.

 _I know how I feel about him. My guardian form was the final nail in the coffin… hah, I bet he’d laugh at that… I love him. I know I do. But I don’t know if he feels the same… he’s just such a great, caring, compassionate, sweet, funny,_ cute… _friend. He’s my best friend, and he’s about to discover someplace he thought was only a story, and he’s stuck with me. I don’t want to make him feel trapped…_

She looked over at her friend as they walked, found herself following the planes of his face, the way his violet hair brushed his shoulders, his lovely, dark eyes…

Which turned to meet hers, forcing her own gaze down to his chest.

“Ah, sorry! I wasn’t trying to stare, I promise!” She blushed hard, hoping he wouldn’t take it badly.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I know I’m not the easiest to look at.” His voice was calm and casual as he continued. “In fact, speaking of that, I wanted to ask you something.”

The first part of his statement was so ridiculous, so _opposite_ from the truth, that in her shock she missed the question that followed. She cleared her throat, trying to sound nonchalant. “What? Sorry, I didn’t catch that last bit?”

“I, um… I wanted to know if it’s, you know, _allowed_ to bring someone like me into Nighthaven?” His voice had changed. It was nervous now, unsure.

“Someone like you? What do you mean? It's a neutral place, everyone is welcome there!” Orion smiled at her friend, hoping to dispel his anxiety, but her face fell as she heard his next words.

“I mean… someone undead. _U_ _nnatural_.” He spoke as if the words were causing him physical pain, turning away as he continued, “You... have a hard time looking at me, which is perfectly fine, don't get me wrong! I know what I am. I just don’t want to cause you any trouble when you go home.”

She felt her heart break. He was so sad, and so _sure_ that what he said was true.

_Well, here goes nothing…_

She reached out, slowly, and cupped his face in her palms, turning him to face her. She kept her eyes on his chest, before raising them to meet his eyes. The longer she’d spent with him, the easier it had gotten to maintain eye contact, and she was damn sure going to keep it together long enough to do what she had planned.

She felt him flinch slightly at her touch, and the despair in his eyes convinced her that this was right, that what she felt needed to be said, out loud, right now.

“Hatebite, you know me. You know that I don’t talk unless I have something important to say, and I would never lie to you, right?”

He nodded, unsure of where she was going with this but unwilling to break away from her eyes, her beautiful, bright eyes, overflowing with so much love… for _him_. And he knew, in that moment and without a doubt, that it _was_ love he saw there.

_I’ve never seen her eyes so closely before, they’re so bright! Like liquid starlight…_

“Listen to me when I say this. You are, _unquestionably_ , the most _beautiful_ person I’ve ever met.”

He felt his heart stop dead in his chest. He was too shocked to even blush. She grit her teeth, knowing she’d have to look away soon, but wanting to make this _count_.

“You’re beautiful, and so, so kind. The way you light up when you learn something new, how proudly you name the plants and animals you know, your voice, your laugh, the way your hands feel on mine, all of it. All of _you_ , is perfect.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Hatebite… _I’m in love with you_.”

She’d finally reached her limit and had to break away from his gaze. She took her hands away from his face and sat down, hard. Before he could react, or even move, she continued, her voice louder and her face in her hands. “I swear to _god_ , I have _never_ in my _life_ wanted to look into someone’s eyes this badly! Only being able to steal glances when you’re looking away has taken _decades_ off my life!”

After a moment, Hatebite landed next to her with a thump. He hadn’t sat down so much as had his legs give out from underneath him.

 _I must be dreaming_ , he thought faintly, _there’s no way this is really happening_.

Orion snorted next to him, still covering her face with her hands, and Hatebite blushed. He had a feeling it’d happen a lot more before the end of the day.

“Shit. I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

She giggled and nodded her head, peeking at him through her fingers.

“It’s just… I mean… I-“

She held out a hand to stop him, her expression gravely serious. “Please don’t feel obligated to reply, at least not right now. I know what I said was a lot, and if you don’t feel the same way, I comple-“

“Can I kiss you?” His lovely voice, so clear and strong, cut her off, and her starlight eyes met his again.

“Yes. Please, yes.”

It was a shy, tender kiss, closed-mouth and modest, but there, on the grass, with the breeze in their hair and the sea at their backs, it was perfect.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: Like Real People Do- Hozier, Dancing in the Moonlight- alt-J

They laid there together as time stood still, lost in each other, looking, feeling, _rediscovering._

Above them, unheeded, the moon began to rise, and the first evening stars came out, twinkling softly.

Hatebite gently ran his fingers down the side of her face, marveling at the warmth and softness of her skin. Orion did likewise, slowly tracing his lips, his cheek, his jaw, and the scar tissue around it, before nestling her head onto his chest. His heart beat slowly and steadily, lulling her into a perfect sense of peace.

“I don’t think I’ve told you before, but I love the way your hands feel,” she murmured, her eyes closed. “Especially the bones at the tips of your fingers, they’re almost like claws.”

In response, he drew his fingers gently down her arm, pressing down just enough to leave faint pink lines on her pale skin. She shivered, a quiet sigh escaping her lips. The feelings and ideas this brought up were fascinating, and they both carefully filed them away for later exploration.

A quiet moment passed before the silence was broken, again, by her small voice, “I’m sorry I didn’t explain this to you sooner. I… I had no idea how much it was affecting you.”

He kissed her forehead, his lips curving into a crooked smile, “Don’t be silly. You have nothing to apologize for. Honestly, I’m just relieved my face seems to be at least somewhat tolerable,” he teased, laughing as Orion elbowed him in the ribs.

“ _Somewhat tolerable_ isn’t how I remember phrasing it, oh light of my life, the moon to my stars,” she quipped back, her voice only slightly sarcastic. “In fact, if you don’t mind looking away for a moment, I’d like to see it again.”

He obliged, looking out towards the sea, still smiling as her felt her gaze on his face. “I’m glad this helps,” he said, “But it feels so _intimate_ … I don’t think I’ve ever felt this vulnerable around someone before.”

She saw the gentle blush rising on his cheeks, and she leaned over to press a small kiss on one, the coolness of his skin still noticeable through the warmth.

“It’s like that for me too. Here, you can look back now if you like,” and he did, his dark green eyes meeting hers for much longer than he’d expected before her gaze finally dropped down to his chest.

“It’s getting easier, see?” Her smile was bright, proud, the corners of her eyes crinkling with happiness. “It’s still hard sometimes, but I’m getting better! It’s nowhere near as painful as it is with strangers.”

Hatebite looked at her with concern. “It hurts? I had no idea! I’m so sorry, please don’t feel like you have to, I don’t want to cause you any-“

Her finger on his lips silenced his worries, and she waved her hands in negation. “No, no, you’re fine. Pain wasn’t the right word. It’s more like… an itch? A kind of twinge in my mind, I guess. It doesn’t physically hurt, it’s just intense and uncomfortable sometimes.” She blushed softly. “But with you, it’s… different. The weird feeling’s still there, but you feel… safe. The way I feel when I’m with you makes it all worth it.”

He sighed in relief, pulling her close, his voice hushed again, intimate and soft. “Thank you for telling me all of this. I’m glad you feel safe with me. I’m over the moon that you fell for me too. I’ve never felt so _light_ before… it’s like I’m floating.”

“I know what you mean. The time I’ve spent with you makes every bad part of my past worth it, somehow… I’m curious, when did you first think you might have had feelings for me?”

Hatebite ran his hand through her soft blue hair as he thought. “Well… from the first moment we met I was captivated by you. Seeing you cleanse the blight for the first time was world altering. We were from opposing factions and you helped me in spite of that. I wanted to get to know you so badly, and it felt like a dream come true when you asked me to be your friend and invited me to travel with you. I think my feelings slowly snuck up on me, right from the very beginning. Honestly, I thought I just wasn’t capable of romantic love while I lived in Brill, but you were… so unlike anyone I’d ever met before. You were so effortlessly, genuinely kind to me, and you understood and supported my wanting to learn about the living world like no one else had. We couldn’t have come from more different worlds, but it was like you carved out a space in your heart just for me. You’re so full of life, and you’re strong as hell,” his voice took on a slightly more heated tone, “and speaking of that, when you saved me from the Scarlet Crusade? Seeing you all bloody and pissed and _powerful_ … if I wasn’t already in love by then, that would have guaranteed it. What about you?”

“Oh, the Scarlet Crusade camp, for sure. I remember seeing you hurt, and I didn’t know how badly, and all I could think was, ‘ _No. He’s mine.’”_

Hatebite felt a small flutter in his stomach at her words.

“Of course, that’s when my bear form came out, but… afterwards, when you pulled me out of my panic attack, you voice was so tender, so _kind_ , and you touched me so gently, like I might break if you weren’t careful. You held me like I was your whole world. It was the first time you called me Starshine, too. That was the moment where all the little things I noticed and loved about you- your curiosity, your kindness, your massive capacity for love, how safe I felt around you, how easily I came to trust you- that’s when it all came together and I realized that I was in love with you. But like you said, I think the seed was planted right from the start when you saved me at that awful outpost in Silverpine.”

Their words were getting slower, the distant sound of the ocean and the warmth of each other’s bodies pulling them closer and closer towards sleep.

“I’ve never been happier to be a race traitor… wait. You heard me call you Starshine? Oh, that’s embarrassing, it just slipped out on accident.” Even in the dark of night she could tell he was blushing.

“Don’t be silly. I love it when you call me that… and I’m so glad you love me back." She was more than halfway asleep by this point. “I can’t wait for you to see Nighthaven...”

“Me either, Starshine. Goodnight.”

“… ‘night…”

They slept soundly, tangled in each other’s arms as the waves gently caressed the shore behind them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: Goodie Bag- Still Woozy, Work Song- Hozier

“Did you know you purr in your sleep?”

“What? I do not!”

“You do too! It’s fucking _adorable_ ,” he snickered as they prepared for the final leg of their journey.

“W-well… you, um… you snore!” Orion was beet red, her concentration on the travel spell broken.

Hatebite snorted and rolled his eyes. “I do not.”

“…”

“Wait, do I really?”

“… no, you don’t.”

“Hah, knew it. And it really is adorable, I promise. You’re like a giant, cuddly kitten,” he continued, his voice faltering as she raised her hands to begin recasting the spell. “And, uh… hey! Look over there! I don’t think I’ve seen that kind of tree before! What do you think it’s called?”

She noticed his tone had taken on a slightly desperate tinge. She cancelled the spell once more and saw the tree he was pointing at.

_Ah, that’s what’s going on… hmm._

“Uh, Hate? That’s a birch tree. We’ve seen _tons_ of them out here. Are you… stalling me?”

He cringed, his face dusted red, and he started to wring his hands. “What? No way, I must’ve, uh, um, missed all the white parts, that’s all!” His voice was frantically nonchalant, fooling nobody.

She took his hands in her own, calmed their desperate fidgeting, and raised them to her lips for a soft kiss. “It’s okay to be nervous, you know. I promise, I won’t let _anything_ happen to you.”

His posture relaxed slightly, and he let out a soft sigh. He squeezed her hands once before letting them go. “I know. It’s just… so much is happening, and has happened, and _could_ happen. Less than a year ago I had no idea Moonglade was even _real_ , let alone someplace I’d be going to. And you’re so kind, and strong, and _alive_ , and I’m… well. I guess I’m just afraid of how the other druids will react.” He raised a hand to his face, trying to hide his worried expression.

“Oh, love,” she said, reaching up and pulling his hand away so she could meet his eyes, her expression tender and bursting with affection. “You’ve brought me nothing but joy and strength. You’re sweet, and gentle, and good, and kind, and you’re _mine_.”

Hatebite felt a small, delightful shiver go down his spine at her tone.

“If you’re not welcome there, then we’ll go somewhere else. Moonglade isn’t the end-all be-all of neutral sanctuaries, and I’d much rather have you then some dank old forest.”

Her mouth quirked up in a grin as he let out a mock gasp. “Oh shit, you better be careful talking like that! They might, I dunno, revoke your druid card or something. Do you guys have cards?”

Orion burst out laughing, and Hatebite joined her. The serious atmosphere dissipated, and the spell was finally cast. She reached out, and he took her hand in his as they stepped through the portal together.

*************************

Laughter echoed through the quiet forest as the pair walked onward, towards Nighthaven and the end of their journey. What had started as a few jokes to dispel nerves had become an all-out pun war, leaving Hatebite gasping for breath and Orion with tears streaming down her face, both of their faces bright red.

“These are fucking _terrible_ , Starshine! A, a _treesome_ , oh my god.” He took a deep breath, trying to even out his breathing. “Hmm… okay, I’ve got one!”

She looked at him expectantly, wiping away her tears but unable to stop giggling.

“Okay, why do rogues wear leather?”

“Mmmm… You got me. Why?”

“Because,” he had to pause and fight down his own giggles, “because it’s made of _hide._ ”

Orion’s giggles turned into full out howling laughter, and she had to stop walking for a moment or risk falling over. She leaned against him for support, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they both tried to calm down to respectable levels. The village was only a few minutes away now, and the atmosphere around the two became a bit more serious.

As they straightened up and walked onward, Hatebite took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for whatever might lay ahead.

Orion reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently in reassurance. “We’re almost there now. Are you ready?” Her voice was calm, secure and unshakable.

He met her eyes for a moment, grateful for her support and her steady presence. “Yeah, I think so. Alright, let’s do this. Ah, wait, could you remind me of the plan again? It… it helps to hear your voice.”

She smiled and kissed his blushing cheek. “Of course! Okay, so my teacher lives near the edge of the village. If we stick to the path we’re on now, we’ll be able to avoid the center of town. We shouldn’t run into anyone on our way there, and even if we do, I’m not expecting any trouble from the other druids. And remember, I’m here with you. I’ve got your back, and I won’t let anything happen to you. We’ve got this!” She raised her fist up above them and shook it once in defiance.

_She did the same thing when we first met. She’s so brave… god, I love her. Alright, toughen up! You can do this. We can do this. We’ve got each other’s backs. Everything’ll be fine._

Hatebite smiled weakly and copied her, though his movements were slightly less confident. As they skirted the edge of the village, everything seemed to go according to plan. It was quiet, peaceful, and despite his anxiety, he could already see himself being happy living in a place like this. The buildings were small, low to the ground, with open air terraces covered in ivy and climbing vines. The cobblestones below their feet were lined with vibrant green moss, and he even saw a few wild fawns wandering through the courtyards up ahead. The light was a soft blue, muted as it filtered down through the boughs of the massive trees growing around the edges of the town. There were a few other night elves out, and he swore he saw a tauren, but none of them took any notice of the pair.

“This place… it’s so beautiful. It’s beyond everything I imagined. I had no idea there were places like this out there.” His voice was quiet, almost reverential, trying to preserve the otherworldly stillness around them.

Orion smiled and turned to face him, and the pure, innocent wonder and hope in his eyes took her breath away.

_How can he not know how lovely he is? He deserves the whole world. I’d bring the moon down from the sky if he asked me to... and I probably could, come to think of it._

“Alright, there’s my teacher’s house up ahead,” she said, taking his hand in hers once more. “She’s a high druid, her name is Felurian, and she’s very kind. She’ll be so excited to meet you!”

“Really? She will?” In spite of his nerves he found himself unable to hide his cautious smile, his voice taking on that hopeful, sweet tone that she loved so much, but as he continued it began to falter. “And, uh, who’s that guy outside? Is he friendly as well?”

Orion groaned internally as she recognized the stern, grizzled face of Althion, the old feral druid with rather _strong_ views towards the Forsaken.

As the pair began walking towards him, she pulled Hatebite behind her and squared her shoulders. “That’s one of the other high druids... don’t worry love, just stay behind me. He’s not as mean as he looks.”

Hatebite stiffened as she greeted the older night elf, hunching his shoulders and trying to appear as nonthreatening as possible, but his mind was racing with dread, blocking out whatever the two druids were saying to each other.

_Fuck fuck shit fuck please don’t let there be any trouble, oh my god, this was a mistake, maybe I can make it out of here if I sprint… No, calm the fuck down, you dumbass, you’re not here alone, remember, Orion is here with you, she loves you and you’re not alone… okay, alright, I’ve got this, just say hello. You can do that, right? You DO remember how to speak, right?_

He cautiously moved out from behind Orion and raised his hand in greeting, but as the older druid’s cold eyes met his, all that came out of his mouth was a tiny, squeaky croak.

_Ah, fuck. Let's try again, shall we?_

“H-he-” He stopped and cleared his throat before continuing. “Hello, sir. I’m Hatebite, a-and it’s lovely to meet you.”

_Okay, see, that wasn’t so bad._

Orion put her arm around his waist, and he began to relax almost immediately. He could feel the telltale warmth of her healing magic seep into his body, bolstering his strength and soothing his worries.

_God, I fucking love her._

Althion’s expression darkened, going from mildly disdainful to downright hostile as Hatebite pressed a kiss to the top of Orion’s head.

“What the hell was _that_?”

Their heads jerked up at his angry, growling tone. Hatebite felt unease trickle down his spine, but Orion’s posture changed almost immediately as she moved to put herself between the two men.

Her shoulders were straight, her chin tilted up, and she seemed to grow bigger as she addressed the feral druid, her tone tight, controlled, and protective. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, sir, but you need to calm down. Hatebite isn’t a threat, or your enemy. _All_ of Moonglade is a neutral sanctuary, in case you forgot.”

“Hah! Don’t make me laugh, girl. I assumed you brought him here as a _curiosity_ , or perhaps for information, but it appears he’s become much too _familiar_ with you for that.” His voice was guttural, bordering on the animalistic. “Perhaps he needs a reminder of what, exactly, he is- an affront to nature and the balance of life. He’s a _mistake_ , and I’ll have no problem making an example of him.” His form began to waver, shifting into the shape of a great, dark panther.

“You’re wrong. He’s _mine_. _Get. Back.”_ Her voice was guttural now too, her upper canines lengthening ever so slightly.

In the space it took to blink, Althion leapt towards Hatebite, claws unsheathed, jaws open and aiming for his throat. Hatebite found he couldn’t move, though his mind was screaming at him to do something, _anything_. From the corner of his eye he saw Orion shift into her bear form. As her muscles tensed to intercept the furious panther, all his panic was replaced by a single thought, a single need.

_Protect her!_

A powerful flash of light enveloped the three of them with what sounded like a clap of thunder. As the blazing light faded, Hatebite realized with a start that he and Orion were surrounded by a halo of light, both unharmed and slightly confused. She shifted back into her natural form and looked at him in amazement. The aftereffects of the protection spell made her look as though she was lit from the inside by a holy glow, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Are you alright, Starshine?” His voice was frantic, heavy with concern, and he pulled her into a gentle hug. “Are you hurt?”

She hugged him back, her eyes shining with pride, her expression awestruck. “I’m fine, Hate, but… what happened? How did you do that?”

“Well… I’m pretty sure I’ve used that shield spell before, but I don’t know where that loud noise came from...“

His words trailed off as she silently pointed out towards the older druid. Althion lay in a heap a few yards away, his fur smoldering slightly, a barrier of bright light surrounding him and separating him from the pair. A low growl confirmed that he was alive. He slowly shuffled to his feet, his expression dazed and murderous, but the barrier held firm as he tried to leap at the two again.

 _Huh. That’s new. I don’t even_ recognize _that spell, let alone remember casting it._

Hatebite met Orion’s wide eyes, and laid his hand gently against her cheek, but before he could speak, the front door to Felurian’s house slammed open, and an older night elf with silver hair rushed out towards the source of the noise.

“What on god’s green earth is going on out here?! Who is- oh. Oh my. Hello there, my dear. It’s lovely to see you again, and with a… guest, no less! Come along inside, now. I’ll see to it Althion leaves you alone, you two make yourselves at home,” she finished, gesturing them inside before closing the door and going back to help the trapped Althion.

Orion and Hatebite looked at each other wordlessly before taking a seat on the couch inside the front room. There was a moment of reflective silence.

“So… how fucked are we? From, like, one to ten?” Hatebite’s voice was anxious, covered with a thin veil of casual nonchalance.

“Mmm… well, probably about a five for fighting in general, but Althion’s a high druid, so… an eight? But,” Orion continued, her voice cheering up slightly, “ _he_ was the one who attacked _you_ , plus we’ve got Felurian on our side, so… I’d say no more than a three. A four, tops.”

Hatebite groaned and put his hands over his face as Orion patted his back reassuringly. “What a way to make a first impression… _ugh._ ”

She couldn’t help but giggle a bit at that. “Tell me about it! You knocked a high druid on his ass,” she said as she leaned towards him, her voice lowered to a whisper, “and it was _fucking amazing_.”

She grinned to herself as she saw him blush. His hands fell away from his face and he gave her a small, bashful smile. “You really think so?” His voice was modest and hopeful, his eyes meeting hers for a short moment.

“You bet your fur it was! You’re turning into a real badass, love! Hell yeah,” and she made a fist, flexing her biceps and grinning cheekily at him, “didn’t I tell you we could take on the world?”

His smile was larger now, bright and genuine, and when he made his own fist, it was strong and steady. “You were right, Starshine. But I have _no idea_ how I cast that spell. It’s like it came out of nowhere. Do you think that Felurian might know what happened?”

Orion’s ears perked up as she heard footsteps coming towards the front door, and nudged him as the doorknob began to turn. “Let’s ask her and find out.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: Welcome Home, Son- Radical Face, Things That Make It Warm- Cavetown

It was late evening by the time Orion and Hatebite had finished explaining their adventures and the peculiar situation they found themselves in. Throughout their tale, the older night elf had sat and listened attentively, only interrupting once to make everyone a cup of tea. Now, she sat back and studied the pair closely.

“So, let me get this straight: You, Orion, deliberately disobeyed your mission guidelines and were attacked by Forsaken soldiers. And you, Hatebite, betrayed your race _and_ your faction to rescue her. Together, you two completed Orion’s assignment _and then some_ before returning here. Orion, you’ve connected with your bear form but have no control over it, and Hatebite, your light magic is activating itself without your knowledge. And yet, somehow, you brought down a high druid with minimum injury and maximum efficiency. Did I get everything?”

Hatebite looked over at Orion, whose expression reminded him of a child getting scolded by a favorite parent. Shamefaced, she nodded to her teacher, her voice unusually timid. “Yes ma’am.”

Felurian turned her attention to Hatebite, her arms crossed and her expression stern. “Do you have anything to add, young man?”

He took Orion’s hand in his own, squeezing it reassuringly. He took a deep breath, steadying himself. “Well, ma’am… I, uh, I understand that this is an unusual situation, but… please don’t be too hard on her. She’s done amazing things in the time I’ve known her. I had no idea it was even possible for the blight to be cleansed, let alone so quickly! Orion has shown me so many wonderful things, she’s the kindest, bravest person I know, and… I’d do anything for her. I understand that my presence here may be an unwelcome one, but please don’t punish her for what happened to us. If I need to leave, then I will, but-“

Orion sat bolt upright at his words, fire in her eyes and defiance in her voice. “No! Teacher, if he isn’t welcome here, then neither am I! I refuse to-“

Felurian raised her hands and chuckled suddenly, her expression softening. “Don’t worry, my dear. I only meant to impress upon you the seriousness of what you two have been through. No one is being forced out. Hatebite, please don’t let Althion get to you. His views are very… _unique_ among the rest of us. You are free to stay for as long as you wish. We have an inn reserved for visitors, but… something tells me you’ll find more comfort in another dwelling, hmm?” She winked at the both of them, causing Hatebite to turn a bright red and Orion to giggle softly and nudge him in the ribs.

“You caught that, then?” Orion’s voice was muffled as she tried to hide her laughter at Hatebite’s expression.

 _He looks like a deer facing down a wolf… how_ delightfully _adorable._

Hatebite cleared his throat before addressing Felurian, trying and failing to fight down his blush. “Ah, well, um… yes, we are together. I hope that won’t pose any, um, problems with anyone here?”

Felurian clicked her tongue and shook her head bemusedly. “Oh, you sweet young man. You have nothing to worry about, I assure you. Cross-faction relationships are actually quite common, especially in neutral lands. Nighthaven is only one of many places where you both could live safely.”

Orion and Hatebite looked at each other, eyes brimming with excitement and joy, but before they could say anything, the silver haired elf continued. “Now, from what I could gather from your story, it seems as though your magic is responding to each other, reacting on instinct rather than planned decisions. Hatebite, what kind of training do you have with light magic?”

He ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment. “Um… none.”

Felurian raised an eyebrow. “None? Not even a single formal spell?”

“… no. The light… it never responded to my call while I was in Brill. I learned to work with shadow magic, but I never gave up on the light. The first time it answered was when I saved Orion from the Forsaken soldiers. It came out on its own, almost like a reflex. We think it’s because Brill wasn’t a place that light magic could flourish, but after we began traveling together, it’s grown stronger and stronger. The shield spell is second nature to me by now, but what happened with Althion is new. He was so much stronger, such a bigger threat than anything we’d faced before… I just knew I needed to keep him away from her.”

“Even though _you_ were his intended target… I see. And you, Orion? I know you’ve had difficulty connecting with your bear form in training, which, as you know, isn’t all that uncommon for balance druids such as ourselves, so what changed?”

“When he was attacked by the Scarlet Crusade soldiers… he was outnumbered, and I thought he was going to _die_. All I can remember is thinking, ‘ _No. He’s mine.’_ I wanted, no, _needed_ to keep him safe. The same thing happened with Althion. I just… I got so angry, so protective, and then, poof. I was a bear.”

Felurian steepled her fingers, looking over them at the pair with a shrewd expression. After a short pause, she spoke again. “I _see_. As I’m sure you know, Orion, the formal term for your bear form is you _guardian_ form. It’s meant to help you protect you allies, those closest to you. For it to come to you after all this time, so swiftly, so naturally… and you, Hatebite. Despite knowing shadow magic, arguably more offensive and effective in a fight, you have instead devoted yourself to light magic, to protection and healing rather than violence. The bond between you is much stronger than I originally thought. You’ll both need training, of course, but… this has the potential to make you two a force to be reckoned with. I’ll ask around and see who’s available to begin working with you both, starting tomorrow.”

At this, Felurian rose and stretched, glancing out the window to see that night had fallen. She walked the pair to the door and wished them a good night before returning inside.

Orion wrapped Hatebite in a tight embrace, which he returned, picking her up and spinning her in a circle before putting her back down. As he followed her towards her house, he found he couldn’t hold back his excitement.

“That went so much better than I thought it would! I can’t believe it! We’re going to get training! This is so exciting, I can’t wait for tomorrow!” He turned to Orion as they walked and realized that she was unusually subdued. It wasn’t her normal silence, which was calm and comforting, but a strange, almost _sharp_ silence, her posture tense and uncomfortable.

_Oh no… something’s wrong. What happened? Is it me? Did I do something?_

He stopped walking, and started to speak, but she turned to him and took his hand in hers, pulling him along down the path.

“Let’s just get home first, alright? Don’t worry, I just… I need to get back to somewhere I feel comfortable.” Her voice was small and flat.

“Alright, Starshine. Whatever you need.”

Her home was small, and much farther away from the other buildings in the village. As they came inside, she perked up almost immediately, the stress dropping from her shoulders with ease. She grinned and leapt at him, tackling him onto her bed in a massive hug. He pulled her close, and they cuddled for a few moments in silence, holding each other securely and letting the events of the day pass over them. After a few minutes, Hatebite spoke softly.

“So… are you alright? I noticed, out there, you seemed uncomfortable, almost nervous? You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, but I wanted you to know that I’ll do whatever you need to make you feel safe, and comfortable. I can always go to the inn, if you’d rather have your own space now that you’re home,” but as he spoke, she turned and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, sweetly silencing him.

She kissed him again, and then once on his forehead, then his nose, his cheeks, before returning to his lips, a perfect smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, and he responded in kind. He ran his hands through her hair, down her back, before settling them around her waist. After a few moments they had to stop and catch their breath.

Orion nuzzled her head into the space between his shoulder and his jaw, sighing contentedly. Hatebite knew she’d talk when she was ready, and distracted himself by running his fingers down her arms, tracing intricate patterns over her soft, pale skin.

When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, but warm and calm. “It’s not you, Hate. It’s… well, it’s this place. It’s not a _bad_ place, and I know I’m not in any danger here, but… I never really fit in here. It’s hard to look people in the eyes, which is usually taken as a sign of disinterest, and I don’t really enjoy being around other people or making small talk. I don’t have any friends other than Felurian, and… have you ever tried to wear boots that were just a bit too small?”

He nodded, waiting for her to continue.

“That’s what this place feels like. It just fits me wrong. That’s why I was chosen for the blight mission, you know? Because I wouldn’t get homesick or lonely. After meeting you, after falling in love with you and coming back here, I realized something. This place was never my home. _You’re_ my home. I want to stay for a bit, at least long enough to train and get stronger, but after that… I know how much you want to explore this place, but-“ Her voice faltered, overcome with guilt for wanting to leave so soon, especially after seeing how much he seemed to love it.

Hatebite pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, and as she looked up at him, she was surprised to find him smiling, his expression soft and tender.

His voice was soothing, and so, _so_ beautiful, his touch gentle, his skin wonderfully cool on hers as he ran his hand down her face. “Starshine, please don’t beat yourself up over this. I know what it’s like to not fit in where you’re from. And you’re right, I do like it here, but guess what?” He grinned at her.

“What?”

“You’re _my_ home, too. So what if we don’t stay here? I’d choose you over some, what did you call it? Some _dank old forest_ any day.”

They both burst into giggles, and Orion shook an admonishing finger at her lover. “You’d better be careful! If anyone hears you talking like that, they might take _your_ card away, Hate!”

“Hah! I’d like to see them try. I’ll just put them in, I dunno, another light bubble or something.”

“You _may_ need some backup with that. I could roar extra loud and scare them off! Or wrap them up in vines or something… speaking of, I _am_ looking forward to our training. Maybe now you’ll finally be able to beat me in a match!” She snickered at his expression of mock offense.

“Hey, now, I’m pretty sure I’ve beaten you at least once! Remember that time I dodged your, uh, sun wrath blast, or pissed off moonbeam or whatever it’s called?”

She groaned and hung her head in faux disappointment. “Babe, love, my precious dewdrop, my sweet sparkling flower petal who I love so much,” she looked up at him with a teasing smile, “it was _sunfire_ , and you didn’t dodge it, you tripped over a tree root and fell down.”

“Mmm… agree to disagree.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Yeah, but you still love me.”

“Mmm… agree to d- only kidding. I do love you, very much.”

“I love you too, Starshine, and I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth. Wherever you want to go I’ll be there, right beside you.” He held her tightly, and they lay there, safe and secure in each other’s arms.

A few moments passed in the warm silence, but something was off. Orion spoke up first. “Something’s missing here, but I’m not sure what it is…”

“You feel it too? Huh…” Hatebite looked up at the ceiling as he thought. “I think it’s the sky. Look up,” and she did, a light flashing in her eyes as she realized what he meant.

“The stars… I can’t believe I didn’t notice! I’m so used to sleeping outside, it’s kinda weird to not see them anymore. Would you maybe like to-“ 

“Way ahead of you, Starshine. Let’s get outta here.”

Their makeshift campsite was more of a blanket nest, and sleep found them easily as they held each other under the familiar light of the moon and the stars. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: Ghost Fields- Murder by Death, Dissolve- Absofacto, Mystery of Love- Sufjan Stevens

Their training went by much faster than expected. Once the pair understood _why_ their magic was reacting the way it was, taking control of it became second nature. Hatebite and Orion trained individually at first, and then together, quickly finding their familiar groove as a team.

Hatebite’s repertoire of light spells increased tenfold, and with each new successful cast he felt the sparks of light within him turn into a raging bonfire. He could now reliably create stronger protective shields around himself and Orion _intentionally_ , though he was grateful they still seemed to respond to his instincts as well.

_This way, she’s still protected even if my attention is elsewhere._

Hatebite found he also had a natural affinity for healing, and he was quickly able to master healing both major and minor wounds, as well as how to dispel corruption and magical ailments sustained in combat. Healing major damage did leave him in a rather weakened state, however, which only made him even more determined to protect his allies from ever getting hurt in the first place. The only trouble he found was in hand to hand and melee combat- he was able to keep any enemies from striking him by using defensive spells, like what he cast against Althion, but it did very little damage and drew his attention away from his allies.

Orion took to her bear form like a fish to water. After exploring and strengthening her connection to the spirit of the guardian, it became second nature for her to shift and protect Hatebite in combat. She sustained very little damage while in that form, which took some pressure off of her partner and allowed him to focus on protecting the weaker members of whatever group they were in. She still had a slight tendency to become overly protective of him while in that form, but this became less of an issue as she proudly watched Hatebite grow in skill and confidence.

As their training came to a close, they were often invited to join three younger druids on any quests they needed help with. It was a bit awkward at first, between Orion’s steady silence, Hatebite’s anxiety, and the trio’s curious stares, but as the pair grew closer with their party members, they found themselves honestly enjoying the company.

By the time their first quest was completed, any lingering doubt over being accepted had left Hatebite’s mind entirely- it seemed that Felurian had been right. There were a few odd questions, mostly about his jaw and his exposed bones, but his dedication to protecting his allies and his kindness towards the wounded cemented his place among the Cenarion Circle as an ally and a friend.

Orion found herself growing more comfortable around the others as well. With Hatebite’s secure presence and unconditional love and support, she found she was able to relax around her fellow druids. Nighthaven, while still feeling a bit uncomfortable, no longer made her feel constantly on edge, and she was surprised to realize that their three younger groupmates were very accepting towards her issues with eye contact and small talk, after Hatebite had helped her explain it to them.

The five of them were walking back to town, finished with yet another quest, and the younger three spoke up almost immediately after Hatebite and Orion had finished their explanation.

“Oh, is that all? That’s nothing to worry about, miss,” one of the trainees said lightly.

“Yeah, please don’t let it stress you out! You’re so strong, and really fun to be around! You don’t have to talk a lot or look at us all the time for us to be your friends!”

“I mean, Hatebite’s got _bones_ coming out of his arms,” said the third, glancing at the priest with a grin, “and no offense, sir, it’s _really_ cool, honest! But miss, we mean it. Working with you two has made us so much stronger, and it’s been a lot of fun!”

Orion smiled at them, her eyes sparkling with joy. “You guys… thank you. That means a lot to me, I… I don’t know what to say.”

The three druids looked at each other and giggled.

“Well, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” the first piped up again, “that’s the whole point, silly!”

Orion scrunched up her nose in mock annoyance, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. “You little joker! Go on, now, get back home, all of you. I’m sure your teachers are waiting.”

Orion and Hatebite waved as the three took off down the road to Nighthaven, shifting into different forms, laughing and chasing each other off into the distance. The pair started walking again, slowly, savoring the peace and quiet, holding hands as they always did.

Hatebite leaned over and pressed a small kiss to Orion’s cheek, smiling at the small blush rising on her face before speaking, “Still? How long’s it been since we met, almost two years? You’d think you’d be used to me by now.”

She stopped walking and turned to face him, a devilish glint in her eyes, and he felt his heart flutter as a shiver went down his spine. She gently pushed him back until he was flat against the trunk of a nearby tree. She grinned, a cocky, _predatory_ grin that left his knees weak and his skin flushed with anticipation. She leaned in, ran the tip of her tongue lightly over the edge of his ear, and whispered, “I don’t think you’re in a position to talk, _love_.”

A soft sigh escaped his mouth, and she stepped back to admire her handiwork- his face was a bright red, his eyes dark and heavy with lust, with need, with _want_. She ran her hand gently down his face, and he leaned into her touch.

She whispered again, softly, “What do you say we go home, huh?”

Her gaze met his, and he could see the matching lust in her eyes, balanced out with a deep and immeasurable love, just for him. His voice was quiet, intimate, and aching for her touch. “Yeah, Starshine. Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmyeah, our boy's a bottom <3


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter songs: Renegades- X Ambassadors, The Sore Feet Song- Ally Kerr

They were awoken from a deep, pleasantly exhausted sleep by a loud and insistent knocking on the front door. Hatebite groaned and sat up, with Orion following shortly after. They stretched out the lovely aches in their muscles, taking a moment to admire the bruises they’d left on each other’s bodies, scattered like delicate flower petals amid deep pink scratches.

As they pulled on their clothes and shuffled to the front door, Orion yawned and mumbled, “Who on earth could it be? The sun’s not even out yet!”

She slowly opened the door, and was met with the excited face of Felurian.

“Hello, you two! Sorry for the time, I’ve always been an early riser, but I have wonderful news and I just couldn’t wait!”

“It’s fine, please, come on in,” Hatebite said, motioning the older night elf indoors before closing the door and following the two women onto the couch.

Felurian took a deep breath before sharing the news, unable to stop her voice from rising in excitement. “Alright, you two! As you’ve no doubt realized, your training is pretty much at an end. Those three you’ve been working with have made incredible progress with their own skills, and you two are more than ready to start exploring the world beyond the borders of Moonglade. The both of you have the Circle’s blessing to take with you, of course, and you’re always welcome to stay here, if you prefer.”

Orion looked at Hatebite, her bright, excited smile matched by his own, and a silent agreement passed between them.

She turned to address her teacher. “This is wonderful! But, where would we go? It’d need to be someplace neutral, or at least sparsely populated…” Her voice trailed off as she thought. “Someplace cold, maybe? I know you prefer the cold, love, and I’ve got plenty of fur coats to choose from, hah…”

Hatebite paused for a moment, trying to remember something he’d read in the past. “What about Northrend? It’s cold, largely unexplored, and full of neutral places we could settle down in. There’s the Argent Crusade fighting the Scourge, of course, but overall-“ His words were cut off as Orion kissed him, suddenly and enthusiastically.

“That’s perfect, Hate! You’re amazing!” She turned back to her teacher, Hatebite a blushing, dizzy mess beside her. “When can we leave?”

“I’ll send word to Stormwind and Valiance Keep immediately, along with our full recommendation and blessing, for _both_ of you,” she added, as Hatebite looked at her doubtfully. “You have nothing to fear, young man. It may be on another continent, but the word of the Cenarion Circle still holds quite a bit of weight with the Keep, and the king is surprisingly open minded! For a human, anyways.”

The rest of the morning flew by as Orion and Hatebite packed their belongings and prepared for their trip to Stormwind. Their bags were light, with only the essentials: cold weather clothes, some money, and a few books Hatebite thought they may find useful.

It was a surprisingly uneventful journey, all things considered. They were stopped by the guards outside the city gate, as expected, but they were quickly intercepted by one of the king’s personal envoys. The small man was quick to explain that the king had received a letter from the Cenarion Circle, and was of course grateful and overjoyed to have such a wonderfully talented priest join the forces of the Alliance, and my, what an _interesting_ face you have there, young man, my word, certainly not one to forget, dear me no, and please follow me if you two would be so kind…

After a rather long detour around the edges of the city, the three finally arrived at the docks. The envoy had a quiet conversation with the ship’s captain before departing. The captain shook their hands and welcomed them aboard, showing them to their private cabin, “to avoid any unnecessary… _altercations_ that may come up with the other passengers, I’m sure you both understand.”

The room was small and a bit cramped, but its private balcony more than made up for any discomfort. They set down their bags before stepping outside, leaning against the wooden railing and watching the waves go by as the ship set sail. Orion snuck her arm around Hatebite’s waist, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her close. There they stood, soaking in the peaceful silence, broken only by the quiet sounds of the sea. 

“So… are you ready for this?” His voice was soft, but full of the steady confidence he’d gained from his time in Nighthaven.

She smiled and hugged him tight, raising her fist in the air above them, and he did the same, their personal symbol of strength and courage filling them both with a sense of safety and hope.

“You bet I am. We’ve got this,” and she giggled before taking his hand in hers and leading him back into their cabin, into the warm embrace of their shared intimacy.

And above them, as it always did, the moon began to rise silently in the sky, the stars shining softly as the two came home to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> open-ended intentionally... hmm...
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> When I first made these characters, Hatebite was a dark, edgy tortured-soul type, very angry and depressed. Orion was supposed to be shy and easily scared... I guess now I know what people mean when they say their characters take on a life of their own! And I like the nervous, shy Hatebite and the badass Orion much better, anyways.
> 
> Stay safe y'all!


End file.
